Benzenschwil
Encyclopedia
Benzenschwil is a municipality
in the district of Muri
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
, the major landholders included the Lords of Hünenberg (owner of the high and low justice
rights) and the Frauenthal and Muri
monasteries. The monasteries bought their rights in 1267 from Johannes von Schnabelburg. In 1394 the Merenschwand district, which included Benzenschwil, bought its freedom and placed itself under the city of Lucerne
. Until the end of the Helvetic Republic
it remained as part of Lucerne. In 1803, Benzenschwil, and the rest of the Merenschwand district, became part of the newly formed Canton of Aargau. In 1813, Benzenschwil separated from Merenschwand and became an independent municipality. Village fires destroyed 13 households in 1799 and 19 in 1803.
The population of Benzenschwil belongs to the Merenschwand parish
, but since 1972 have a chapel
that is integrated into the village school.
Economically, agriculture is one of major sources of income in the village. In 1990, 37% of the workers in Benzenschwil worked in agriculture. From the mid-19th Century to 1985 the straw industry provided a few jobs. Despite the railway station that opened in 1881, there are very few other jobs in the village. By 1990, 74% of the workers commuted outside the village for work.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 6.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.7%. Out of the forested land, 26.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 40.7% is used for growing crops and 16.7% is pastures, while 2.0% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality is located in the Muri district, on the eastern foot of the Lindenberg in the upper Freiamt. It consists of the village of Benzenschwil. The municipalities of Benzenschwil and Merenschwand
are seeking approval from the Canton to merge on on 1 January 2012 into a new municipality which will be known as Merenschwand.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure an Arm proper issuant from sinister clad in shirt Argent and overcoat Or holding an Auger of the second with a handle of the third.
The age distribution, , in Benzenschwil is; 49 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 97 teenagers or 17.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 68 people or 12.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 55 people or 9.9% are between 30 and 39, 130 people or 23.4% are between 40 and 49, and 79 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 32 people or 5.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 29 people or 5.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 13 people or 2.3% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 3 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 67.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 10 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 62 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 108 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 185 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household. there were 129 single family homes (or 59.2% of the total) out of a total of 218 homes and apartments. There were a total of 0 empty apartments for a 0.0% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 7.3 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 43.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(22.9%), the SP
(13.4%) and the Green Party
(9.3%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
there were 265 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 218 or about 82.3% of the residents worked outside Benzenschwil while 37 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 84 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 10% used public transportation to get to work, and 59.6% used a private car.
.
). Of the school age population , there are 53 students attending primary school in the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Muri
Muri (district)
Muri District is a district in the Swiss Canton of Aargau with the administrative capital of Muri. It covers the central and southern part of Freiamt and has a population of .-Geography:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
History
Benzenschwil is first mentioned in 1189 as Penziswile. In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the major landholders included the Lords of Hünenberg (owner of the high and low justice
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
rights) and the Frauenthal and Muri
Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey was a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It flourished for over eight centuries at Muri, in the Canton of Aargau, near Basle in Switzerland...
monasteries. The monasteries bought their rights in 1267 from Johannes von Schnabelburg. In 1394 the Merenschwand district, which included Benzenschwil, bought its freedom and placed itself under the city of Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. Until the end of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
it remained as part of Lucerne. In 1803, Benzenschwil, and the rest of the Merenschwand district, became part of the newly formed Canton of Aargau. In 1813, Benzenschwil separated from Merenschwand and became an independent municipality. Village fires destroyed 13 households in 1799 and 19 in 1803.
The population of Benzenschwil belongs to the Merenschwand parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, but since 1972 have a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
that is integrated into the village school.
Economically, agriculture is one of major sources of income in the village. In 1990, 37% of the workers in Benzenschwil worked in agriculture. From the mid-19th Century to 1985 the straw industry provided a few jobs. Despite the railway station that opened in 1881, there are very few other jobs in the village. By 1990, 74% of the workers commuted outside the village for work.
Geography
Benzenschwil has an area, , of 2.46 square kilometre (0.949811310137636 sq mi). Of this area, 1.46 km² (0.563709151545101 sq mi) or 59.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.68 km² (0.262549467842924 sq mi) or 27.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.27 km² (0.104247582819984 sq mi) or 11.0% is settled (buildings or roads).Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 6.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.7%. Out of the forested land, 26.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 40.7% is used for growing crops and 16.7% is pastures, while 2.0% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality is located in the Muri district, on the eastern foot of the Lindenberg in the upper Freiamt. It consists of the village of Benzenschwil. The municipalities of Benzenschwil and Merenschwand
Merenschwand
Merenschwand is a municipality in the district of Muri in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:The earliest evidence of human settlement is a lake side village from the Late Bronze Age. The lake has since silted up and is now part of the Rütiweid meadow...
are seeking approval from the Canton to merge on on 1 January 2012 into a new municipality which will be known as Merenschwand.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Azure an Arm proper issuant from sinister clad in shirt Argent and overcoat Or holding an Auger of the second with a handle of the third.
Demographics
Benzenschwil has a population of , 10.7% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 4%. Most of the population speaks German (95.9%), with French being second most common ( 0.8%) and Italian being third ( 0.8%).The age distribution, , in Benzenschwil is; 49 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 97 teenagers or 17.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 68 people or 12.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 55 people or 9.9% are between 30 and 39, 130 people or 23.4% are between 40 and 49, and 79 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 32 people or 5.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 29 people or 5.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 13 people or 2.3% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 3 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 67.8% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 10 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 62 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 108 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 185 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household. there were 129 single family homes (or 59.2% of the total) out of a total of 218 homes and apartments. There were a total of 0 empty apartments for a 0.0% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 7.3 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 43.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(22.9%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(13.4%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(9.3%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 324 |
| 1880 | 378 |
| 1900 | 308 |
| 1950 | 346 |
| 2000 | 518 |
Economy
, Benzenschwil had an unemployment rate of 2.83%. , there were 38 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 64 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 19 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.there were 265 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 218 or about 82.3% of the residents worked outside Benzenschwil while 37 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 84 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 10% used public transportation to get to work, and 59.6% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 355 or 68.5% were Roman Catholic, while 97 or 18.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Benzenschwil about 77.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the school age population , there are 53 students attending primary school in the municipality.